Tottenham Hotspur have announced the signing of Israel star Manor Solomon, despite the chief executive of his former club Shakhtar Donetsk threatening legal action.
Solomon spent last season in the Premier League with Fulham, scoring a number of important goals for Marco Silva's side. He had moved on loan to Craven Cottage after suspending his contract with parent club Shakhtar.
The winger's deal with Spurs runs until 2028, subject to international clearance and work permit. However, it follows a threat from Shakhtar chief Sergey Palkin after efforts to bring the star back to Ukraine appear to have fallen flat.
"I contacted Solomon and his agent and invited him back to our club," Palkin told ESPN in June. "I said 'you can play all the games in Champions League, you will be in the starting eleven' but he doesn't want to move and I believe he will stay in England.
"Finally, where he will go, I don't know. In any case, if you go to Tottenham, we will deal with Tottenham in court in this case. Everything comes to a simple situation: it sounds like unjust enrichment.
Antonio Conte to undergo surgery after Spurs boss became unwell with severe pain"Can you imagine, we pay big money for this player and finally Tottenham receives him for free? It is not fair in respect of our club. We will definitely go to court and we will fight for ourselves."
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Solomon first joined Shakhtar in 2019, having begun his career in his native Israel. The starlet scored in a famous 2020 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League, and made more than 100 appearances in total for the Ukrainian side.
When war broke out in Ukraine, FIFA allowed foreign players to suspend their contracts in the country. Solomon used the opportunity to join Fulham following their promotion to the top flight and - after injuries impacted his start to the season - he scored five goals in 24 games in all competitions.
Solomon becomes Spurs' fifth summer signing as they prepare for a first season under new manager Ange Postecoglou. Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro have turned their loans into permanent moves, while the club have also signed goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and playmaker James Maddison.
His arrival at Spurs comes just one week before Postecoglou's side kick off their pre-season preparations with friendly against West Ham in Australia. His Premier League debut for the club could come in their opener against Brentford on August 13.